President Bola Tinubu has revealed that he intervened in the reinstatement of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly after detecting the influence of the state executive, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in Obasa’s impeachment, SaharaReporters has learned.
According to sources present at the meeting Tinubu held with state lawmakers on Wednesday, the President expressed concern over Sanwo-Olu’s level of influence. He stated that it was troubling for the governor to wield such power and that he had a vested interest in determining who became the Speaker of the Assembly.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Tinubu met behind closed doors with Speaker Obasa, Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda, and other Lagos State lawmakers at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The meeting was convened to address the leadership crisis within the Lagos State House of Assembly.
“At the meeting, President Tinubu explained that the reason why Obasa escaped impeachment was because he saw the indelible fingerprints of the Lagos executive, led by Sanwo-Olu, in the Speaker’s removal. He found it unsettling that the executive would be interested in who should emerge as Speaker,” a source familiar with the events disclosed.
The lawmakers arrived at the Presidential Villa before 3:00 PM on Wednesday and were promptly escorted into the President’s office complex by security operatives. Notably, Obasa, whose controversial reinstatement had deepened divisions within the Assembly, arrived separately around 3:00 PM.
The high-stakes meeting followed Tinubu’s decision to arrange a chartered flight to transport all Lagos Assembly members to Abuja in a bid to resolve the escalating political turmoil. The crisis, which erupted after Obasa’s impeachment on January 13 over allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement, has rocked Lagos politics.
Lawmakers initially celebrated his removal as a victory for accountability. However, behind-the-scenes pressure from APC leaders—backed by Tinubu—led to his controversial reinstatement. Meranda, who was briefly installed as Speaker following Obasa’s ouster, was forced to step down under pressure from party bigwigs, reportedly as part of a deal to maintain party unity. She was later compensated with the Deputy Speaker position, but many lawmakers remain furious over what they perceive as Tinubu’s high-handed interference.
During the meeting, SaharaReporters learned that Tinubu lambasted Obasa for arriving late. “The Speaker was rebuked for his habitual lateness. The President spent the first 10 minutes dressing him down,” a source revealed.
Tinubu’s Resolutions
After hearing arguments from both sides—Obasa and the lawmakers opposing his return—Tinubu urged the lawmakers to allow Obasa to retain his position. He also instructed Obasa to withdraw his court cases challenging his removal.
“The President pleaded that we should allow the Speaker to return. He also directed the Speaker (Obasa) to withdraw his legal applications from court,” a source said.
SaharaReporters also learned that Tinubu decided that the current principal officers and committee chairmen should remain in their positions. However, the issue of the Assembly Clerk became a contentious point during the meeting.
“But regarding the issue of the Clerk, after a heated debate in the presence of President Tinubu, he asked the lawmakers to allow the court to resolve it since the matter is already in court,” a source explained.
“The Speaker wants the former Clerk, Olalekan Onafeko, while all the other lawmakers want the current Clerk, Taiwo Ottun, to remain in the role.”
On Wednesday, SaharaReporters reported that the Lagos State Assembly, under Obasa’s leadership, had sought the deployment of armed security personnel to fortify the Assembly complex. This request followed conflicting judicial pronouncements that have thrown the state’s legislative arm into chaos.
A leaked letter addressed to the Lagos State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), signed by the Clerk of the House, O. B. Onafeko, revealed Obasa’s request for additional security reinforcement at the Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja.
“I have the instruction of the Leadership of the House to request for Armed Officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to provide security cover for the Lagos State House of Assembly as well as Honourable members and Staff,” the letter read.
The document further stated that NSCDC personnel would work alongside 20 private security guards to secure the premises, indicating that the leadership anticipated possible unrest or confrontation.
This request came at a time when the National Industrial Court (NIC) clarified that it did not order the reinstatement of Clerk Onafeko, contrary to reports circulated by Obasa’s camp. The court had only issued a directive for both parties to maintain peace, pending further hearings.
During the last court session on March 12, 2025, Justice M.N. Esowe expressed shock over Onafeko’s forceful takeover of the Assembly Secretariat, which was carried out using security operatives to eject Acting Clerk Ottun.
Counsel for the Assembly, O.O. Oniyire (SAN), accused Onafeko of manipulating the judicial process and spreading misinformation about his alleged reinstatement. Meanwhile, the court scheduled March 18 for the hearing of all pending applications, further delaying a resolution to the crisis.
SaharaReporters previously reported that the leadership crisis in the Lagos Assembly had been worsened by a multi-billion naira procurement scandal involving official vehicles for lawmakers.
According to sources, the main issue was the purchase of 39 SUVs, a project originally approved by Obasa before his removal in January. SaharaReporters learned that Obasa had sanctioned the procurement of 35 Toyota Fortuner SUVs and 10 Toyota Prado SUVs from Dubai at a staggering N7 billion.
However, during her brief tenure as Speaker, Mojisola Meranda reviewed the proposal, opting instead for a local dealer who supplied 32 units of 2025 Toyota Prado SUVs and seven Toyota Land Cruiser 2025 models for N5 billion—effectively saving the Assembly N2 billion.
This decision allegedly enraged Obasa, who demanded that all SUVs procured under Meranda be returned. Sources told SaharaReporters that Obasa’s original plan was to distribute 45 luxury vehicles, including four units for himself and his two wives.
In another controversial move, Obasa had also unilaterally replaced the legal team representing the Lagos Assembly in court without consulting the 35 lawmakers who had initially voted for his impeachment. The move sparked outrage among Assembly members and legal practitioners.
During a recent court hearing at the Ikeja High Court, Justice Yetunde Pinheiro adjourned proceedings to March 17 after multiple new applications were filed.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, who represents the 35 lawmakers opposed to Obasa, condemned the Speaker’s decision as illegal.
“A plaintiff cannot impose a lawyer on the defendants,” Falana stated, affirming that he and his legal team had been duly selected by the majority faction of lawmakers.